Risk-Based Environmental Decisions

Risk-Based Environmental Decision: Methods and Culture presents the principles of human health risk analysis as they are applied in environmental decisions. It balances the discussion of scientific theory and methods, philosophical analysis, and applications in regulatory decisions. The material is directed towards risk analysts who must apply their skills in a policy setting, and towards policy analysts who must use risk estimates. The presentation is suited ideally as an introductory text on the methods of risk analysis and on the cultural issues that underlie these methodologies.
An important feature of Risk-Based Environmental Decision: Methods and Culture is that it is designed around a series of detailed case studies of environmental risk analysis which walk the reader from the historical nature of the problem, to the formulation as a risk-based problem, to the conduct of risk analysis, and on to the application, debate, and defense of the risk analysis.

1. Risk, Rationality and Decisions.- 1.1. Analysis of Risk.- 1.2. Conceptions of Risk.- 1.3. Rationality and Risk.- 1.4. Rationality and Logic Trees.- 1.5. The Uses of Risk Analysis.- 1.6. Risk, Values and Culture.- 2. The Structure of Environmental Risk Assessments.- 2.1. Formulating the Problem.- 2.2. Hazard Identification.- 2.3. Risk Characterization.- 2.4. Risk Communication.- 3. Assessing Exposure.- 3.1. Emerging Pathogens.- 3.2. Identifying Sources and Characterizing Strength.- 3.3. Dispersion and Fate.- 3.4. Dispersion Coefficients and Equilibrium Ratios.- 3.5. Areal-weighted, Time-weighted and Population-weighted Averages.- 3.6. Exposure Pathways.- 3.7. ADRI and MIR.- 3.8. Data and Models.- 3.9. Summarizing Exposure.- 4. Exposure-Response Assessment.- 4.1. Environmental Radon.- 4.2. Pharmacokinetics.- 4.3. Pharmacodynamics and Dose-Response.- 4.4. Missing Steps.- 4.5. Human Equivalent Concentrations.- 4.6. Intersubject Variability.- 4.7. The Social Construction of the Causes of Risk Variation.- 5. Regulatory Science: Risk and Decisions.- 5.1. Decisions and the Precautionary Principle.- 5.2. NOELs, NOAELs, LOELs and LOAELs.- 5.3. RfDs and RfCs.- 5.4. Benchmark Doses.- 5.5. Hazard Quotients and Hazard Indices.- 5.6. Linear Carcinogens.- 5.7. Nonlinear Carcinogens.- 5.8. Exposure Limits and Ample Margin of Safety.- 5.9. Risk, Science and the Courts.- 6. Uncertainty and Variability Analysis.- 6.1. Protecting Against Risk.- 6.2. Principles of Uncertainty for Discrete Options.- 6.3. Uncertainty for Continuous Variables.- 6.4. EPA Guidelines on Monte Carlo Analysis.- 6.5. Sensitivity Analysis.- 6.6. Variability Analysis.- 6.7. Nested Analyses.- 6.8. Risk-Based Decision Under Variability and Uncertainty.- 7. Risk, Systems Analysis and Optimization.- 7.1. Risk ManagementOptions.- 7.2. A Decision Problem.- 7.3. Optimization Principles.- 7.4. Applying the Lessons.- 7.5. Closing Comments.